Getting Lost

It can be frustrating for some people to get lost. It doesn’t bother me, I eventually figure out the route, it’s like solving a puzzle. And sometimes, like today, you discover something really special. The signage on the River Des Peres Trail had been quite good, better than most trails we’ve ridden. And until now, the trail had been in very good condition, then these things showed up, twice. The safest approach was to stop and walk your bike onto the deck.

I rode through Lemay Park and came to an intersection. Across the street was a bridge over some railroad tracks and a side road with an archway that said “River Des Peres” – that must be the way. At a fork, I went left and found

I went back to the fork and took the right branch and ended up in the Ivory Railyard, one of the employees told me.

I could see River City Casino on the other side of the bridge so I decided to ride the sidewalk, there were no shoulders on the roadway. You can barely see the white truck beside the pile of wood in this picture:

The bridge was quite narrow but rideable.

But it also had its hazards:

Once on the other side, all signage disappeared so I took the road in front of the casino and thought about turning around.

I rode a bit further and noticed the top of a sign on the other side of the grassy hill that ran along the far side of the road. I got off my bike and walked to the top … Eureka! A bike trail, impossible to see and no entry points to it. Really?

This sign sparked new interest. Jefferson Barracks was the location of Rhona and husband Leo’s Lococo House I. (On our Katy Trail rides, we stayed at Lococo II. Rhona now lives in Lococo III.) No turning around now.

The Laborer’s House, around it a Wedding Garden:

I didn’t explore too much, I’d been gone for quite a while. On the way back, along the Mississippi River:

I decided to look for entrances to this part of the River Des Peres Trail on the way back. There were NONE, I had to dismount and walk over the grassy hill (levee) to get back to the bridge. This is how the trail ended:

I had a great time on this ride. If I hadn’t persevered after getting lost or if I’d let the hazards dissuade me, I would never have discovered Jefferson Barracks! And I rode 15 miles and survived the heat and humidity quite well!